Machine for treating plants in rows with insecticide



Sept. 21,1943. w. H. c. NESS ETAL 2,330,003

MACHINE FOR TREATING PLANTS IN BOWS WITH INSECTICIDE Fild Aug. 12; 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM H. C. N555, JAMES H HoLMEs,

INVENTORS P 1943- w. H. .0; "Mass er AL 2,330,903

MACHINE FOR TREATING PLANTS IN ROWS WITH INSECTICIDE Filed Mtg". 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 1943- w. H. c. NESS ETAL 2,330,003

MAGHINE FOR TREATING- PLANTS IN ROWS WITH INSECTIGIDE Filed Aug. 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W/ZL/AM H. C. N555, JAMES E Hows,

INVENTORS W. H. C. N ESS ETAL Sgpt. 21, 1943.

MACHINE-FOR TREATING PLANTS IN ROWS WITH INSECTICIDE 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Aug. 12, 1941 m mm 1 Wm w n w M n q o a u o a M w L..M M 0 INVENTORS Patented Sept. 21, 1943 Maoni nnron TREATING-PLKNTSINROWS I r 1 WITH-INSEC'EIGI-DE" Angels, Calif; assignors to. N Works, Los'Angele's; Oalifl j i ca ApplicatiouAlrgustlZ, lsngfsenai Na steam This invention relates-to machines for treating plants in rows with" insecticide, and particularl to machines "dispensing insect 'c l'estirc'aving 'po'w ders where the impregnated spray "is directed 'in an upwa-ia direction from the underneath side-bf the pl-ants'and then downwardly thereover while the plants are momentarily entrapped Within a hood located 'rearwa'rdly of the machine-and moved successively over the plants as the: ma

chine is trailed down therows of vegetation. I

Inmany instances, one being that of the cotton plant and the boil Weevil, parasites attackthe plants from the underneath side andudus-ting,

equipment which applies materials onto the top' are not effective. crop dusters that apply materials to the top side of the plants if there was any appreciable wind blowing, or air currents set up by the machine forwardof the crop. i 7

It is among the foremostobiects of the invention to provide in a machine of the above share acter an enclosure for the plant which: may momentarily cover it while the insecticide materials are being applied, thus: more effectively treating the plant and eliminating the: necessity of having to wait forya still atmosphere in which to. make the application Another object of the invention is. to provide in a device of the above stated character, a hooded means for temporarily enclosing: the plants as it is moved thereover in relation to. a,

single row or a plurality of. rows. while them secticide materials are forced. against the underside of the plants with sufficient. force. to drive them throu h the foliage of the entire plantthereby to insure thorough coverage andresult-a ant maximum killing of the parasites, A still further object of the invention, is to provide for vertical as well. as lateral; adjustment of the hoods to accommodate different sized plants and rows. of vegetation. varying in width.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the detail's'of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within due scope of that which is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying h drawings, which illiistrate what is at present deemed,- by

Especially is this true in row:

reason of successful- 155c, to be a pre ame em bodimentertneinvention; I

Fig. l' is a planvievvoft some sneer poi tions thereo an; awoken l: memento-snow interior -construction.-

Fig-521s a-irear elvat'ion of tif'a compete Str ve ture upported upon heels as it appe rs when being uses in a neid t vegetationin -rotvs. Afn adi'ii'stdosition or the ground wheels is indieated by-dotte'ct lines: In theupper .Tp'ortion of the-"view a pan; or one or: the conduit- Joints is-bi okenaiwayi i H i filiga 3 sa side *elevajtibn looking from light to lemon-relation to Fig. 'Inithis view a part of thee inse'c'ticiide container; i's-br'oken' away to Show:intsrior-eensnucnonr I Y Fig-. Ali's-a fragmentary side elevationai. detail on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing on an enlarged scale/the mechanism for varying. the elevation of tlie fraine in o'rder to regulate the .devic'e for. useiiponplants difiering height. lines indicate different adjusted the suppoi ting groundflwneeli L c c o 'Eig-J5 is; a'fragm'enta'ry sectionak det'aii on line e Fig' 4,' th'eigi ound Wheeland some other parts on the near sideiiof the iplanesot. section: being s'hownin elevation; i i i i "Fig.6 i's 'a phrfly- 'a -si'de elevationand partly a -longitudinali mid seetinn through. one I of; the hoods; (in -line fi fi of Fig. l1,th'e"s'ca1'e 1 being, lai get than 1a the view;.. Part, of one-neithe conduits s broken away: tozcontract the view Fig: 1 ea transverse section; on line Jae-l; of' Fig. 6 sonic parts 'being-eshown. partly in; eievaa tion and partly in SGfiOhyfinQ-a v 8" is avlarge scaleese'ctionala detaihthe line II -+8 on: Fig. 3 indicating the plane ct sectibnn Referring in" detail to the drawings; the; upper portion of the machine isproyided Within 110131:- zontally disposed :framenwhich incl udesan elon- =position of.

ated frame member 10 at; each side; "these;-

The dotted.v

affording a strong and not too heavy main frame for the assembled parts of the machine.

Upon the aforesaid frame is supported a hopper or reservoir 2| which is provided internally with suitable means for agitating an insecticide powder and delivering it to the conduit system of the machine whence it is directed upon the plants. This hopper and its internal construction are not described in detail, because they have already been described in our co-pending application, filed August 3, 1940; Ser. No. 350,905, which has become Patent No. 2,253,802, issued August 26, 1941, and separately considered, form no part of the present invention.

From said hopper 2| the insecticide is delivered through an inclined tube 24 to a centrifugal blower 22, the fan blades 23 of which rotate in a vertical plane, and force the insecticide through the housing or short tube 25 to the upper conduit bifurcations 26 which communicate with'the upper part ofsaid tube 25, and tothe lower conduit bifurcations 21, which communicate with the lower part of said tube 25.

A swingabledamper 26, mounted within the tube section 25 may be adjusted to direct all the air current from the blower either into the upper bifurcations 26 or into the lower bifurcations .21, or to divide the stream of air so that a portion of it isdelivered to both sets of bifurcations, the free end of the damper being directed toward the incoming current. The pivot 29 of said damper turns therewith and is located at ,the mid-height of the tube section 25. Said pivot carries a radial operating arm 30 provided with a laterally projecting pin 3|. Said pin isguided by a slotted bracket 32, a wing nut 3|a screwing onto the pin to secure it in its adjusted position in the slot of the bracket.

Each of the upper bifurcations 26 projects horizontally outward toward its side of the machine, and has telescoped over it the inner end of a conduit 33, a rubber sleeve 34 surrounding the telescoping parts of the conduits 26 and 33 at each side of the machine to prevent leakage of air. The purpose of uniting the conduit sections 26 and 33 in this extensible manner is that they may be adjusted to deliver the insecticide to rows of plants which are spaced apart at Various distances. The conduit structure which has just been described is in a general way duplicated with regard to the lower conduit sections 35, which however are much shorter, being likewise telescoped over the lower bifurcations 21 where the joints are likewise protected from air leakage by rubber sleeves 34a.

The conduit structures which have been described are arranged to deliver the insecticide to the interior of the inner hoods 4| and outer hoods 42, all shown in Fig. 2.

In order to guard as much as possible against the escape of the insecticide from the lower portion of said hoods a flexible skirt member 45 has its upper edge attached to, the lower portion of each side of each hood, and a series of weights 46 are secured to the lower edge portion of each of these skirt members, said weights trailing upon, or coming very close to, the surface of the ground as the machine advances.

A transversely extending pair of tubular mounting members 5| and 52 serve to support the four hood structures which have been men'- tioned. The tube 5| is attached to the four overlying frame members l and I2 by means of hangers m, and the tube 52 is attached to said frame members by hangers 52a. In order to adjust said hood structures at different distances from each other to conform to different widths of rows of plants to be treated, collars 53 are adjustably mounted upon said tubes and are secured in their adjusted positions by means of set screws 54. Rigid connections are made between these collars and the hoods by means of clips 55 which are welded or otherwise secured to the ovoidal or horseshoe shaped sheet metal bands or plate 51 which form all except the end portions of the hood structures. Said plates 51 each have a corrugation 570 in an adjacent, parallel relation to each end to afford a maximum rigidity withminimum weight of metal.

Each of. the four hood structures, shown in Figs. 3, 6; and 7 has the current of air impregnated with insecticide delivered to it at opposite sides of its lower portion and in a staggered manner, that is to say, the air is delivered from a tube65 into the rear portion of the hood and from a tube 66 into the front portion of the hood. Describing the tube connections for the outer hoods .42, each conduit 33 has a downwardly directed end portion 33:: which, by means of a detachable joint structure 61, is connected ,with a tubular shank 68 from which the current of air is spread to both the terminal tube sections 65 and 66. The lower part of the tube section 65 has a rearwardly inclined delivery end portion 69 furnished with a hooked terminalportion 10.

Similarly the lower part of the tube section 68 has a forwardly inclined delivery end portion 1| furnished with a hooked terminal portion 12. Said hooked portions 16 and 12 connect respectively with the elongated air intake apertures 16a and 12a. The delivery of the impregnated air to the hoods is rendered more eifective by reason of the Wide flattened character of the mouths of said tubes which cooperate with said elongated openings; and also effectiveness is added by the diagonally opposite arrangement of said intake apertures plus the fact that the upward inclination of the discharge end portions of the said tubes directs the air in a somewhat tangential manner thus adding to the circulatory movement within the hood. The means for delivering the insecticide to the middle pair of hoo'ds 4| cornprises detachable joint structures and terminal tube structures which are substantially identical to those already described for the outer hoods, hence are lettered in the same way and do not need to be described in detail.

The structural details of the various hoods, which are all of the same design, are more fully shown in Figs. 6 and 7, where each hood'is shown having a series of imbricated rubber flaps 75 at its back and similar front flaps 16, all these flaps being secured to the inner surface of the hoods near each end, in such a manner that the end of each hood is normally closed except for the opening 11 of a generally ovoidal shape having its large end directed upwardly. In Fig. 7, where the observer is looking into the rear end of the hood, the front flaps 16 are seen along the inner margin of the front end of the hood, and a series of angular leaf springs 18 are shown, one limb of these springs being riveted to the sheet metal in such a manner as to serve for an attaching means for the aforesaid rubber flaps. In Fig. '7 the out- ,line of a plant 79 is indicated, it being assumed that the machine has advanced, thus causing the yielding flaps I6 to admit said plant within the hood after whichthe flaps have moved back to their normal position under the urge of the springs I8. At the opposite, that is to say, the

aasoooa rear end of each hood, the, flap structure is the same-except that the springs 18$, although shaped angularly' like the springs .78, have, the foot portions 13f secured 1 externally l to.- the sheet metal portion .of the hood, the rivets or other fasteners 18r being relied upon to secure therube ber flaps 15 in place; Said springs L81: are de-v flected outwardly from the hood as the plants emerge from its rear end, thereupon pressing against .the outer faces of the flaps to restore s them totheir normal position.

In order to provide for: varying the distancel of the hoodsabove the ground, so as to envelope to better advantage plants of. different heights, a

means is provided for vertical adjustment of the.

round wheels .8! in relation to the frame fof thel vehicle, ,Eor this purpose a downwardly extend! ed bracket structure .82 is provided aboveeach wheel, said. bracket-structure being secured ads J'ustablv to ahorizontal hanger plate as by means s o bolts 84; which pass. through slots 33a, in said platcaswell as through: holes inthe flanges with which the bracket structure 82 is provided. Said hanger plate is secured to the superjacent, horizontal frame memberslc and i2 by meanslor a metal. frame consisting ofthe side parses; which fl' -shaped in crosssection: with their webs ct d upw rdly, and thereinforcing p at s The basal portions of these bars and plates are welded to the upper face of said plate 8'? and the.

upper edge portions of bars 85. are welded to the ower sides of e frame members Illand t2.

This ,Structure is stabilized by the tubular strut El which passes through closefitting holes pro.-

vided for it in said cross platestli, said strut extendi g f om sidetc s de a d havin its upper side welded to the frame pieces, to and l2 andits lower side welded to said hanger plate 83,

The aforesaid bracket structure 82. serves as. a mounting means for a leg 88, the lower portion. of which carries rigidly a housing 89 within, which turns a stub shaft 90. One end of said stub shaft has fixedtoit an arm Sixtowhich in turn, is secured the spindle 92 of the wheel, T the opposite end portion of said shaft Stissecured a worm gear 93 with which meshes a worm 94s fixed to the; lower end of an operating shaft 95, having a hand Wheel 96 at its upperend. Said shaft 95 passes through a combinedclamp; and bearing structure 91 carried bythe leg 88 in a considerably spaced relation to the worm 9t. Said clamp Bl consists of plates Bla and 911) which may be gripped against the shaft 95 by means of screws 98. By the arrangement which has just been described each wheel maybecom siderably adjusted in avertical manner and then securely maintained in the adjusted positionby the'clamp 91.

The triangular traction frame 99, seen in side elevation in Fig. 3, consistsof a main, upper horizontal tubular bar I06 to the front end of which is secured a downwardly directed bar Hill, (a di.-

agonal brace bar Hi2 completing theframe. A pair or channel beams I03 depend from the front part of the vehicle frame and betweenthe; upper portions of said beams a collar 13a; is

welded or otherwise securedv in position to fqrm a support within which slides the forwardpart of said bar Hill, the back portion of said bar sliding within a collar- H332; (-see Fig. 8) pendantly supported from the frame nember M by means of an I-shapedhanger Mh suitably riveted or otherwise secured to said-members within WhlCh it is interposed. A link plate I04, attached by screws [Mo to plugs I secured within the back endsot the. tubular members H and 182' fastens together the back end portions of said tubular members.

#Belowthe front end of the brace bar 392 the 5 bar'IEll is provided with a series of'bolt holes I98- to cooperate with the pin ltlll of-the traction clip or clevis Hi) to which the traction'vehicle is connected. I 'Fhevertical adjustment of said clip H-ll should accord with thevertical adjustment of the spindles of the ground'wheels.

bar we when said .b'ar Hid is in the extended position shown'in' l- 'ig; 3 to assume the tractive force When said bar lllll is'retracted a hole H3 through its front portion registers with the aforesaidiholes in the bars IE3 and collar 33:; to rec'eivel said pin andthereby maintain said bar lot in its retracted position.

I the drawings, in the joint structure 61 shown in the upperlpart ofFigs. 6 and 7, angular clips 96c and 910 are respectivelywelded or otherwise secured to the tubular members-33a: and 68 near their ends, and a clamping bolt 98%) passed through apertures in said clips is furnished 'wi-tl a nut 99bwherehy said tubular members are secured together in a communicating relationto eachother. As'will be seen from Fig. 7, the rubbcr E'ls is necessarily depressed-at one side to accommodate itself tolthe projecting arms of said clips; but its effectiveness as an air seal is not materially impaired, because it still encircles all except a smalllsegment of the mouth or tube 68. l

Preparatory to putting the machine into opof the loweration the. workman will see to it that the two ground wheels are spaced at the proper distance from. each other to avoid encountering the rows each wheel make its track midway betweenad- J'acent rowslof plants; To make this adjustment it isonlv. necessaryv tolooscn the nuts of bolts 84 (Figs. 1. and 4), adjust each wheel inwardly or outwardly-in respect to the length of the ma nuts back into place to clamp the wheel supports he adjusted positions.

In conjunction. with adjusting theground wheelszas aforesaid, the tom-hoods will be adjusted to accurately register with the rows of plants t0 be successively enclosed bywthem asthe machine is trailed in the direction which such 3 W cxilcnd. This (adjustment is effectedby i looscningthe setscrews 5d (Figs. 6 and 7) and then sliding each hood supporting collar 53 along the tubes 5t and t0 the, required position.

In connection with,theaforementioned adjust merits of the ground Wheels andhoodsit will benecessary to make the proper height. adiust-= ment ofthe groundwheels a indicated in Fig. .4.

This a b effected by loosening the screws 58' that clamp the worm, shaft against rotation, rotating said sha t. inthc proper directions-to. the

framc, and

then tightening said clamping screws 98. I

, lAfter supplying"powdered, insecticide to, the. reservoir 21,; adjusting properly the feed, control an am r v theblo r motor, M wi l be;

, put into operation at the same time that a propelling vehicle is made use of to trail the machine along the rows of plants to be treated. By

means of the auxiliary driving mechanism IIB A pin H2 is in-- sorted through alined. holes in the paired vertical bars "33, collar [133a and tubular traction Describing certain structural details shown in of plants to be'treated, it being desirable that chine, as may be required, and then screw the xt e ar t adjus thcground Wheels to; the proper heights in relation to'the vehicle (Fig. 1), the insecticide is fed from'the hopper 2| by blades H9, conveying the material under shelves I28, over metering valve I 2| into tube 25, whence by gravity and fan suction it is blown by the fan blades into the duct from which it is distributed to the several hoods.

The upwardly directed staggered currents of air delivered to the lower portions of the hoods will apply the insecticide efiiciently to the under surfaces of the leaves of the plants, Whether said plants are low growing vegetables and/or stalks of considerable height If it is desired to treat only two rows of plants at a time the outer hoods 42 may be removed and only the innerhoods 4i made use of. Preparatory to doing this the two outermost set screws 54 will be loosened to free the collars 53 into which they extend whereupon each outer hood 42, together with the conduit structure adjacent to it, may be moved laterally outward from the machine to a detached position. The telescopic joint structures 34 facilitate this operation because they permit the tube sections 33 to be withdrawn from the tubular members 26. After the outer hoods have been removed in the manner stated, the inner hoods ll will be adjusted the desired distance from each other in a manner which willbe readily understood in view of the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for applying insecticides to plants in rows, a vehicular structure including a frame supported by ground wheels, an elongated hood having a sheet metal portion which forms a housing with open ends and an open bottom, means constructed and arranged to support said hood upon said frame with its bottom adjacent to the ground and positioned astride a row of plants to be treated with insecticide, said hood having a series of imbricated flexible inwardly extending spring pressed flaps carried by each end portion and normally closing each end of the hood except for an opening of a generally ovoidal shape having its large end directed upwardly, and means operated to deliver a current of air impregnated with an insecticide to the interior of said hood.

2. In a machine for applying insecticides to plants in rows, a vehicular structure including a frame supported by ground wheels, a plurality of hoods each having a sheet metal portion forming in transverse section a substantially horse-shoe shaped housing with open ends and an open bottom, means constructed and arranged to support each of said hoods upon said frame for adjustment at varying distances from each other with the open bottom of each hood adjacent to the ground and positioned to straddle a row of plants to be treated with insecticide, each of said hoods having at each end a series of imbricated inwardly extending spring pressed rubber flaps which close the ends of the hoods except for a central ovoidal opening through which the plants pass, and means operated to deliver a current of air impregnated with insecticide to the interior of a plurality of said hoods at the same time.

3. A hood for insecticide machines consisting of a horse-shoe shaped sheet metal portion forming a housing with open ends and an open bottom, each end portion of said hood having a series of imbricated inwardly directed spring pressed marginal flaps of a flexible character normally closing the ends of the hood except for an opening of a generally ovoidal shape having its large end :directed upwardly through which the plants enter and leave, said hood having also a skirt portion to trail along the ground adjacent-to. a row of plants being treated with insecticide delivered interiorly to said hood.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 and, said skirt portion extending along both of the opposite sides of said hood, a series of weights secured to the lower edge of each of said skirt portions, means for moving said hood in an endwise manner along a row of plants thereunder, means to deliver air impregnated with insecticide to the interior of said hood simultaneously with moving the latter along the row of plants, said air delivery means including two hooked air conduits, one communicating with t e 20 lower back part of one of the sides of said hood and the other of said conduits communicating with the forward part of the opposite side of said hood, and both of said conduits communicating with said hood at a common level.

5. In a machine for applying insecticides to plants in rows, a vehicular structure including a frame supported by ground wheels, an elongated hood having a sheet metal portion which forms a housing with open ends and an open bottom, means constructed and arranged to support said hood upon said frame with its bottom adjacent to the ground and positioned astride a rowof plants to be treated with insecticide, said hood havin flexible inwardly extending flaps carried by its end portions, said vehicular structure being furnished with a hitch member for trailing it to advance said hood along a row of plants being treated, springs carried by the metal portion of said hood and constructed and arranged to return said flaps to their normal position after the latter have been deflected by contact with the plants being treated, and means operated to deliver a current of air impregnated with an insecticide to the interior of said hood.

6. The subject matter of claim 5 and, said springs comprising resilient arms which contact with the rear surfaces of the flaps at each end of said hood.

7. The subject matter of claim 5 and, at least some of said springs consisting of angular metal strips having attaching limbs to grip portions of said flaps against metal portion of said hood, and fastening means extending through said attaching limbs and the portions of the flaps gripped H by them.

8. In a machine for applyin insecticides to plants in rows, a hood of an inverted trough shape and closed at the top, means for moving said hood in an endwise manner along a row of plants thereunder, and means to deliver air impregnated with insecticide to the interior of said hood simultaneously with moving the latter along the row of plants, said air delivery means including only two air conduits, one communicating with the lower back part of one of the sides of said hood and the other of said conduits communicating with the lower forward part of the opposite side of said hood.

WILLIAM H. c. -NEss.

JAMES F. HOLMES. 

